Greece to supply Ukraine with liquefied US gas during winter

Greece plans to supply Ukraine with US liquefied natural gas this winter as Ukraine’s energy infrastructure comes under increasing Russian bombardment.

Greek gas companies Depa Commercial and Ukrainian gas companies Naftogaz said in a joint statement on Sunday that they “signed today a declaration of intent to supply the Ukrainian market with liquefied natural gas during the winter period, from December 2025 to March 2026,” on the sidelines of a meeting in Athens between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The agreement constitutes a fundamental contribution to regional energy security and resilience.

The agreement, signed in the presence of the new US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, will allow for support for Ukraine through a harsh winter.

The US ambassador in Greece visited Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Ukrainian embassy in Athens on Sunday.

In October, Moscow launched the largest bombing campaign of Ukrainian gas facilities since the start of the war in 2022, and cut 60% of gas production, which is a vital means for housing heating.

“The relations between our two countries are gaining a new dimension of critical importance: a secure energy path that stretches from south to north, from Greece to Ukraine,” the Greek prime minister said.

He added that this path is embodied in the establishment of the vertical energy corridor and the critical infrastructure in the port of Alexandroupolis, which gives Ukraine direct access to diverse and reliable energy sources.

From his part, Zelensky thanked US President Donald Trump “because we will be able to get natural gas not only from Greece, but also through Greece”.

Before later heading to France and Spain to discuss defense and energy issues, the Ukrainian president stressed that the coming winter presents a tremendous challenge for the Ukrainian people, calling the agreement very important because its an essential part of the broad energy package that we have prepared for this winter.

During his meeting with Greek President Konstantinos Tassoulas, he added, “Its winter in the shadow of Russian drones and missiles, and under daily attacks”.

“Almost every night now, the Russians are hitting our facilities, especially energy facilities… Most of Ukraine’s power plants, gas production facilities, and thermal plants have become targets”.

Mitsotakis said the deal represents a crucial stage on the road towards the final dispensation of Russian gas, after the majority of EU countries finally gave the green light to ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, in a move aimed at drying up sources of funding for Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

Zelensky’s visit, the first to Greece since 2023, follows the announcement of major energy projects in Greece with the support of the United States.

In addition to the energy issue, Athens and Kyiv are seeking to deepen their cooperation in the fields of defense and cybersecurity.

“In the field of maritime defense, the two sides intend to strengthen cooperation to develop and deploy naval drones, and to organize joint exercises and training courses related to unmanned naval systems,” according to a joint statement.

Greek authorities say they are seeking to strengthen their cooperation with US companies to increase the flow of US liquefied natural gas to Greek terminals.

Mitsotakis said Greece was the natural gateway for US LNG to replace Russian gas in the region during a conference in Athens earlier this month sponsored by the United States.

In addition to Europe and the United States, the Ukrainian president spoke of intensive work with Azerbaijan, expressing hope that long-term contracts for gas imports could be reached with the country.

The operation of the Trans-Balkan Pipeline, which connects Greece to Bulgaria, has strengthened the vertical corridor to Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia.

The opening of storage facilities at the port of Alexandroupolis, near the Turkish border, where US liquefied natural gas arrives, has also weakened Russia’s position in the regional market.

Ukraine’s energy sector has been hit hard in recent days by a series of Russian missile and drone attacks, plunging large parts of the country into darkness.